Thursday, September 8, 2016

UFO - Court Martial

Hotshot new protégé Paul Foster has been found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death. SHADO has sprung a leak with information privy only to Foster nearly becoming public. Is Foster all wet?

I don't know much about military tribunals but I do know a guy being railroaded when I see one. An investigation eventually clears Foster, revealing the leak is the result of an industrial spy prying on Harlington-Straker's film orperations, and stumbling onto military secrets. Not knowing what to do with those secrets, the spy sells the the press thus setting in motion the suspicions pointing to Straker's golden boy.

So why is Foster set to be executed? Because the trial and verdict came before the investigation! Therein lies the fundamental problem I have with this episode. I just can't buy into it. I can almost believe that the communications dilemma in The Dalotek Affair would be so upsetting that it would make everyone find a meteor to be a distracting nuisance rather than looking into it, but this is more than I can suspend disbelief for.

Just how much does Henderson hate Straker, anyway? We've seen before that he's a fair man, even regarding his former friend and now nemesis. Would he kill Straker's fast-rising recruit for revenge? Is he so hot to pursue an execution without ascertaining the facts? "It's gonna take positive proof of innocence to convince me!", he barks. Yet it did not take positive proof of guilt for him to sentence a man to death. As a matter of security, it would be prudent to keep a traitor alive long enough to discover how far the damage goes and where it may lead. I guess Foster shouldn't have yelled at him the first time they met. That's one hell of a bad first impression to leave that strong a grudge.

What about Straker? He too allows an investigation to be an afterthought. Worse, apparently he would not have conducted one at all if not for a lead from one of the directors affected by a leaked script that had been handled by Foster.

Freeman? He'd be the obvious advocate for the defense, but he also is an afterthought in this outing, following Straker's lead and keeping his own counsel.

Aaaaaah, but Doctor Jackson has returned! Vladek Sheybal always light up the screen even as he leaves an oily film on it. What about Jackson? Well, it' s a delightful performance as Jackson takes up the job of prosecuting the case against Foster. He plays true to expectations for being slippery, alright, but I'm still not sure it makes sense. As a psychological analyst for SHADO, I have to wonder at his motive. Seems to me he'd be as interested ass Straker to learn the truth rather than leap to blatantly unsupported conclusions - not out of concern but for his own fascination. Putting it plainly, I just don't get him here. none of the characters quite ring true, nor the plot. As it was written by Tony Barwick, the best writer on the series and the guy who knows these people best, that's disappointing.

I'm being harsh. Churlish, even. The hour has some joy in it. The pace is brisk, the twists keep us off balance, and the personal exchanges are a delight. As always there's a genuine spark between Henderson nd Straker. Everyone puts in an edgy performance, and Sheybal keeps the tribunal taut.

There is a detail of Foster's rise that is sharp, and one I would never have thought of: he is now a major player in the life of their cover operation, a movie producer! That's clever writing. I wish the substance had been as clever, expanding on the characters or exploring a theme...or at least making me believe what I was seeing.



This episode has always bugged me for it's illogic, and now that I'm taking a more serious look at the series overall it bugs me just a little more for being filler. It's fun but I can't give it more than 6 recording ballpoint pens from Sharper Image..

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